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Little Shop of Coral

Black Cerith Snail (Cerithium caeruleum)

Black Cerith Snail (Cerithium caeruleum)

$5.00 CAD
$5.00 CAD
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The Black Cerith Snail is a reef-safe cleanup-crew staple that helps keep your tank tidy by grazing on film algae, diatoms, and detritus. Ceriths are especially useful because they work multiple zones, including rockwork, glass, and the sandbed. They are also known for burrowing, which helps stir the top layer of sand and keep the substrate looking cleaner.

Why we love it

  • Excellent film algae and detritus grazer

  • Works rockwork, glass, and sandbed

  • Burrowing behavior helps keep sandbed cleaner

  • Peaceful and reef safe for nearly all systems

Care and Compatibility

Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Safe: Yes
Diet: Herbivore/Detritivore
Adult Size: Small
Minimum Tank Size: 5 gallons recommended

Ideal Parameters

  • Temperature: 24 to 26 C (75 to 79 F)

  • Salinity: 1.024 to 1.026

  • Stable alkalinity and calcium support healthy shell growth

Feeding

Most of the time, Black Ceriths feed on natural algae and leftover food.

  • Film algae and diatoms on rock and glass

  • Leftover fish food and frozen food scraps

  • If the tank is very clean, supplement with a small piece of nori or an algae wafer

Tank and Setup Notes

  • Provide a stable sandbed so they can burrow

  • Avoid sudden salinity swings, snails are sensitive to rapid changes

  • Maintain calcium and alkalinity for long-term shell health

  • Secure intakes if you have strong pumps in smaller tanks

Compatibility Tips

  • Safe with corals and most inverts

  • Can be targeted by hermit crabs looking for shells

  • Avoid housing with fish that eat snails, such as many large wrasses and puffers

  • Works well paired with other snails like trochus and nassarius in mixed cleanup crews

Acclimation and Health

Drip acclimation is recommended. Once settled, cerith snails are hardy, but they can react poorly to rapid parameter changes. Ensure they have algae to graze on during the first week.

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LIGHT

LOW: Place coral at the bottom of the tank. Depending on the type, coral may need to be placed off sand and therefore mounted on a ceramic disc of piece of rock.

MEDIUM: Place coral at mid-range of the tank. Best placed/glued on top of a rock scape at mid-range height. 

HIGH: Place coral from mid range to just below water level. SPS coral are shallow growing so they require and are able to tolerate intense light.

FLOW

LOW: Most soft coral do well with a small, gentle pulse. There are certain corals that can even be placed in areas of indirect flow, meaning places aside a rock structure or set into a entrance to a cave style space.

MEDIUM: Many LPS types of coral prefer medium pulse current. Most Euphyllia or corals that have more tissue structure connected to their skeleton, don’t like to be in a high flow area like the direct flow of the wave pump.

HIGH: Similar to high light, SPS enjoy being in some heavy current. Most LPS and SPS that branch encrust or plate prefer high flow that simulates the top water waves.

SKILL

ENTRY: While some may say beginner level, "Entry" is a good term to be used when starting out in the world of corals and marine life. Prior to adding livestock, you want to ensure that your reef has the proper parameters including zero levels of ammonia and nitrite. Seeing traces of nitrate in your waters is a good sign - just keep them at a lower level of 2ppm to 10ppm. Maintaining correct temperature and salinity are a huge factor to stable parameters. Starting to monitor your PH, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium is a great habit to get into to keep a successful reef.

While some soft coral don’t require too much light, having a proper reef light that puts out the proper pars is very important. You'll also want to have a good amount of flow and protected rock areas, as placing corals in their happy spot is ideal for success.

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